Opposites. There are many uses of this word, many meanings. A famous saying is “opposites attract” or that people with opposite personalities are a good pair. But I will not talk about personalities as I believe there is no such thing as an “opposite personality”. Thus, I shall talk about magnetic opposites, or North and South.

The North Pole. There are in fact two North Poles, the geographical North Pole and the magnetic North Pole. The North Pole is not a land mass, it is a mass of ice on water. However, it still has a name: The Arctic. The Arctic has little wildlife, mostly the wildlife in constanrated in land masses near the North Pole such as Canada, Greenland, and Russia. Some examples include the polar bear, reindeer, Arctic Fox, narwhal.

Now onto the South Pole. The are also two South Poles, the geographical South Pole, and the magnetic South Pole. However, unlike the North Pole, the South Pole is in fact a continent-Antarctica. Thus, there are many more structures in the South Pole such as the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Antarctica is home to one of the most famous animals: penguins. There are many more animals, such as seals and albatrosses but penguins are the most abundant and the most likeable with tourists.

Thus concludes our study of the two opposites poles of Earth: The North and the South Pole.

Shadow Gaunt"In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."-Benjamin Franklin

I was always told that there could be no darkness without the light. Would it also then be safe to say that there could be no light without darkness? One may say yes since darkness is purely the absent of light, however, without darkness, would one know what the light was or would it just be there?

I have been chastised by my clan for following in footsteps not of their own. They seek the forces of the light to do good in the world while I have left that path and sought the shadows. It is not as though I do not want to see good in the world as darkness is often equated to evil. It is that I believe even the darkness is only as evil as those who choose to pursue it for their own means. Yes, the darkness is powerful. It has the ability to create fear and tear the light from our very souls. However, I believe that if I can grasp these powers and control them, why not use it to fight darkness with darkness? When we are on equal footing, we have a better chance of survival.

So I have searched for these powers and found them. They are within my reach, but the battle I play inside of myself is harsh and long. The darkness battles the light within my soul and I pull them apart. One should not put out the other but they should live in harmony to create a balance of abilities and strengths.

I will continue fighting until I can use both powers, the light I was born with and the darkness which I have accepted, as one. For with them both, I will save my people from the darkness that has surrounded us and threatens to put out their light with its shadows. My own powers of the dark will twist the shadows and work with the light to fade them away.

Shiloh Adlar, Sixth Year, Prefect, RQT Co-Captain"Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world." -Voltaire